Why Working Less Boosts My Career
I’m a highly motivated, career-focused 23-year-old who’s not afraid of part-time work.
Work-life balance is coming more and more into focus at modern companies and even governments are rethinking the idea of the 40-hour working week. Conservative critics may think that this weakens a nation’s or company’s position in an increasingly competitive environment but having actively sought out a 32-hour week I’ve realized that having more free time has made me more productive in the office.
It wasn’t easy to convince friends, family and hiring managers of the value of cutting my working week by 20%. My reasons for this rather unconventional move were that I indeed like my job a lot, but there are things I truly adore: adventures in the mountains and being a successful ultra-trail runner. In spite of people’s fears that I would miss out on career opportunities and financial remuneration, I still went my own way and found out that the decision that I made for personal reasons is also influencing my professional career in a positive way. Here’s why:
1. Part-timers are physically and psychologically healthier
You may already have heard about studies that found out that working less and having more time off has positive effects on your health, which in turn reduces the amount of sick days. Mentally, I am better able to manage stress after a long weekend in the mountains or a long run the afternoon before.
2. Part-timers are most likely more motivated, but not overly obsessed
“Before I get too tired, annoyed or stressed, I find myself already at the top of a mountain again.”
I’m highly motivated for several reasons. As I have a shorter working week or day, I come in on a Monday morning relaxed and happy after a nice weekend, motivated to kick-ass in the upcoming 32 working hours. Before I get too tired, annoyed or stressed, I find myself already at the top of a mountain again, leaving myself no time to get too obsessed with any one thing.
3. Part-timers have time to improve themselves every damn day
When I worked 40 hours a week, I came home at the end of the day without any motivation left to rethink what I was actually doing in the office. I was so focused on the daily business and all the (bad) habits I had fallen into, that I found no chance to think about these weaknesses and improve on them.
Whole project teams and workshops are initiated to bring several experts together to analyze and restructure complex processes. What if the 22-year-old beginner would find such a business approach all by himself? On a Friday afternoon, watching the sunset somewhere in the Alps. This is unlikely to happen among the project team putting in long hours in the office.
The best is that I don’t even need to think about work. During a full-day mountain tour, you will necessarily think about yourself, what you have done, what you can do better, where you want to go and how you will get there. Isn’t this the definition of creating a fulfilling career?
Think about it. If you have time.
Marcel's adventures and business tips
Check out his stories on running the world’s toughest obstacle race, taking learnings from business to sports and turning overtime into quality time.
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This is often the case for me and I'd love to reduce working hours just a bit to leave more room for exactly that. I hope our culture can move towards this model in the future.
I loved reading your post and I feel like I want to agree; however, I also liked Marcus Leach's post from a week ago that gives very valid reasons why "Champions do more" and are always willing to go the extra mile (and I don't think he meant hiking on Friday mornings ;-).
@MarcusLeachFood what are your thoughts on this?
Cheers,
Jens
I agree to an extent, that we can all be more efficient in our work, but ultimately champions do more - http://www.gameplan-a.com/2017/02/youre-not-done-yet-champions/ There is a difference between being in the office, or at your desk for 40 hours, and then actually working hard for 40 hours to get ahead of the game. Nobody ever became truly successful without putting the hard yards in.
Working at your optimum for 40 hours is going to be more beneficial than working at your optimum for 32 hours, it comes down to being motivated and focused on what you do, which comes back to my first point about doing what you truly love in life, not settling for a job or career that is anything but perfect.
Thanks for your great comment and reason to re-evaluate.
See, I am not only running through the mountains for fun, but I am also doing it highly competitively and actually even professionally. One of my bigger achievements were the German junior title in ultra marathon running - so I totally agree to "Champions do more" !
But what do they do more?
Focus when they actually are in the office? Get helpful career experience outside of the office? Stay healthier by going outdoors? Creating impressive achievements out of the office that even the SMT looks up to?
I'm truly loving my job, so don't get me wrong here and the last thing I want to do is miss a career opportunity, but being in this "experiment" of working 32hrs, I really can't say that this is the case.
Maybe it is something you want to give a shot? Who says working 40 hrs is best anyways?
What do you think?
Maybe it's different working in a traditional job, when there are set days and work hours and a career ladder to try and climb. But one thing I do know, is that every successful person I have met, from all fields, has always been prepared to go the extra mile, to do whatever it takes to be the best.
I agree with you that we can be more efficient in certain areas of our life, but ask tiger woods would he ever have become one of the world's greatest golfers by hitting fewer practice shots, or of Richard Branson would have built such a global empire by going home early from the office.
A good article indeed but the balance for me is trying to pull away from one of my many passions.
Cheers
Congrats to your sub3 Marathon time.
But what about 2:30 or 2:35? :)
I guess it is up to everyone to decide what he or she likes most and how to achieve whatever he or she wants to achieve.
What I am definitely not saying is that I'm neglecting my career or not loving my job, but that I truly boost my career by working less. It's true - try it out ;)